


Memoirs of The Fallen Man

by tianeyuan



Category: Fate/Grand Order, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms, Fate/stay night - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Salem
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:07:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25572568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tianeyuan/pseuds/tianeyuan
Summary: He could see his own blue eyes staring back at him from the reflection in the window. Eyes that were seemingly lost in thoughts, thinking and searching for something; for answers that he desperately wanted to know.
Relationships: Fujimaru Ritsuka & Charles-Henri Sanson | Assassin
Kudos: 21





	Memoirs of The Fallen Man

**Author's Note:**

> A Charles-Henri Sanson commission written for @/queens-enigma on Tumblr! I fell in love with his character in Salem ;;v;; Hope you enjoy it!!

Charles-Henri Sanson was never a man to leave things unnoticed from his eyes. 

Ever since he was a child, raised in a well-off family of executioners, he was brought up with a good entourage and was taught etiquette by a few teachers and observing his family from afar at social gatherings and events.

He also knew not to question if it wasn’t his place to ask or if someone seemed too uncomfortable to talk. However, he couldn’t shake off the lingering curiosity hanging in the back of his mind for a couple of days now when he bumped his fellow Servants, Robin Hood and Medea, while making himself a small snack. He recalled, after their short breakfast together, that he had decided it was best to leave them be to discuss the events of Salem, as he didn’t remember anything after he was resummoned. 

Charles-Henri had asked himself whether he should ask his Master directly on this matter, but he also didn’t want to intrude in her personal space after such a long and draining mission. Despite his curiosity towards the matter, he knew better than to push his own boundaries to get his answers; he would just have to wait until it felt appropriate to talk about the events that happened in that small town in Massachusetts.

_ And oh, did he wait. _

Days went by slowly for the young man as he spent his days in Chaldea helping out his Master with her tasks or assisting Emiya in the kitchen if needed. Yet during those days, he couldn’t help but think that his Master was acting a bit distant around him compared to the other Servants ever since her return.

He noticed the small details like the short and rather nervous replies from her, something that had only happened for the first few weeks when he was very first summoned until she grew accustomed to him. But that was so long now, and he remembers just fine that she was smiling so cheerfully for him before her departure to Salem. 

What exactly had happened? What happened to  _ him specifically _ that made his dear Master act slightly different around him than around other Servants? 

Charles sighed as he kept asking himself those questions. Of course, he wanted to know what happened and why there was such a blank in his memories between his Master’s departure and return. There must have been a reason for it,  _ right?  _

After all, he clearly sees his name in the casting list of actors in that book that was gifted to him by his Master some days ago. While he doesn’t recall the memories, he was sure that he had fun rehearsing and performing them in front of the crowd.

Charles-Henri let out a sigh as he aimlessly walked around the halls, looking for a place to sit down to take a short break, away from the chaotic laughter and chatter in the canteen after lunch. 

He then took a seat by the window and found himself facing the door to the control room, his back leaning against a huge frame that gave view to the clear blue sky and the beautiful mountains draped in a veil of the white snow that reflected the bright sunlight of the day. 

He could see his own blue eyes staring back at him from the reflection in the window. Eyes that were seemingly lost in thoughts, thinking and searching for something; for answers that he desperately wanted to know. 

What exactly had happened in Salem? What has happened to him? Of course, he knew better than to press his fellow Servants about that, given the fact that they had just returned from the Singularity and probably wanted some time to themselves. 

He then squeezed his eyes shut, feeling the sun’s rays shine too brightly and shifted his attention to the small book of plays sitting in his lap.

Charles-Henri’s ears perked up as he heard footsteps approaching from one end of the hall, as well as two familiar voices.

“Master, how do you think Abigail is doing?” Mash asked her Master as her voice gradually grew nearer.

_ Ah, they’re talking about Salem. _

Master hummed in response and let out a little laugh. “I hope she’s doing fine right now. It’s a shame that she couldn’t come back with us to Chaldea, but I’m sure she’s going to have fun with her ‘uncle’ now.”

“Certainly, I’m sure she’s enjoying her travels currently — ah, Sanson! Hello there!” Mash stopped mid-sentence to greet the Frenchman.

Their Master turned their head to Sanson and smiled, greeting them with a slight nod of the head, to which he greeted them back.

“Did you need something? You look like you’re lost in your own thoughts just now,” she asked, turning her body to face him.

Charles had a slightly hesitant expression in his eyes before nodding. “Yes, actually… Would it be better if I spoke to you  _ alone _ about this?”

His Master glanced over at Mash. “I’ll catch you up later, alright?”

The Demi-Servant smiled in response before walking off until her footsteps faded away, indicating that she was far enough to not hear both of them. Master sat down a few spaces down from him on the large window still.

There was an awkward silence, as he glanced over at her fumbling with her fingers, trying to think of a way to start the conversation. After what felt like an hour, she finally took a deep breath. “So, what did you want to talk to me about?”

“It’s… It’s about Salem, Master,” he answered hesitantly.

He sensed her grow quiet again, her smiling eyes and her slightly flustered expression was replaced with a sad one. 

“Is everything all right?” he asked, noticing a shift in her demeanour as he looked at her. He didn’t want to force it out of her either.

His Master shook his head. “No, everything’s fine. I figured you might want to ask me about this sooner or later. I guess it was just a matter of time,” she laughed, but the laugh didn’t reach her eyes this time.

“I suppose you want to know what happened over there, right?” she asked, shifting her position to lean back against the large window frame, feeling the cool air hit her back.

Charles-Henri nodded with a firm look in his eyes.

“Alright then… Where should I start?” she mused, leaning her head against the window, noticing the book of plays in his lap. “Ah yes, well I suppose I should start with that.”

“I’m sure you know Salem’s history with the witch hunts by now,” she said, seeing her Servant nod once again. 

“Yes, the practice was quite common in Europe as well. While I am an executioner, it pains me to see innocent people being judged unfairly by the jury and die as a result,” Charles said, a pained look in his eyes as he frowned.

His Master had a faint smile on her face and a gentle look in her eyes. “You were just like that back in Salem; defending the innocents that were improperly accused by their neighbours of being suspect of practicing witchcraft.”

The silence from Sanson only urged her to continue, so she did. 

“You always tried your best to reason with the jury, even if it cost more suspicion for us to rise up — most of us didn’t mind at all though, we knew you were doing the right thing. Robin did show some signs of opposition though; you guys couldn’t help it, it just came naturally. In fact, you guys were arguing a lot in the earlier days when we arrived!” she continued with a laugh.

Sanson sighed, it was no wonder why the Englishman seemed a bit stiff around him. “I’m sorry, Master. I didn’t mean to cause possible trouble. It’s just…  _ that man _ …”

His Master laughed. “No, no, it’s all right! You both had very valid arguments to both sides of the situation. Sometimes, it even gave us quite a laugh!”

Her smile then faded away as she continued. “He was just trying to protect you in his own way, after all. He lived a life by stealing from riches to give back to the poor, I can’t even imagine what his own life was like, despite being so cheerful all the time. He has his reasons to bicker, but you had your own too.”

“You wanted to help the people of Salem,” she pressed on. “You wanted to help lessen the false accusations led by the church and the jury, so you started becoming like a second doctor in that town to help people out. The citizens really looked up to you, you know!”

_ She was smiling, yet why wasn’t the smile reaching her eyes? _

“However,” she said after a brief pause, her seemingly joyful turning into a sad one. “The jury began suspecting you too; for being a witch, a servant of the Devil. You were defending everyone when they were in trial and your practices in medicine were roughly two centuries ahead; the jury eventually got suspicious of you and us as well.”

“Yet you still continued. You chased after your own ideals, in hopes to help the people of Salem. You did your best, trying to help in the ways that you could without arising much suspicion…” she trailed off silently, her gaze seemingly distant now.

“Master?” Sanson gently asked. “Is everything alright?”

“Y-Yes… Everything is… fine… It’s just… I can’t help but feel a bit guilty about yourself,” she sighed, running a hand through her hair.

_ Guilty? Why? _

“Master, why would you feel guilty about yourself?” He asked in a soothing tone, leaning forward.

“I… I didn’t do anything to stop… your own execution, at the end,” she choked.

Sanson could only stay silent, fearing anything he would say would be absolutely futile. All he could do was gently hold her hand, in hopes of it being a gesture to tell her that everything is alright.

“I mean, you didn’t drink the medicine that Circe offered to fake your death, but I still felt it was partially my own fault. I couldn’t save you in court, I couldn’t help you nor defend you in your trial nor in front of the jury or the townspeople whose suspicions on us were growing day by day,” his Master continued, visibly trying to suppress her outburst.

“Y-You decided to become a bodyguard for the judge in charge of the Witch Hunts, Judge Hopkins, in order to obtain more information. A-And… there was this girl… a suspect of being a witch, her name was Lavinia… You helped her escape and blamed the murder of the judge on yourself… Your heart was in the right place; you did the right thing! Hopkins was a scumbag, b-but I failed to save you!”

He felt her grip tightening around his hand as she took a deep breath.

“Theoretically speaking, I should’ve been the one being tried! I am your Master; yet I avoided the consequences because I was safe from evidence and accusations! Even Abigail attempted to save you yet she failed. You were doing the right thing for the people in the best way possible in our circumstances… You were trying to atone for your sins committed in the past… Yet… When I had the chance to save you at the very last minute… I didn’t. I was scared, I was so scared to act. You sacrificed yourself for all of us, but… I… When I saw you back in Chaldea after returning, I was so happy… I felt so relieved, but...”

He painfully watched as tears came out of her eyes, streaming down her cheeks. He knew the ending of his tale already, even before she could finish.

He drew her close, not knowing what to say. How could he say anything? After all, he was the one who lost his memories and she was there, breaking down in front of him for something that couldn’t be properly handled under the circumstances

Charles-Henri laid her head in his chest, gently patting and rubbing her head. It was true, being hung at the gallows in front of a huge crowd, being in the place where his prisoners were, did seem like a good way to atone for his sins. He would come face to face with the same humiliation and treatment as his own prisoners, thus having the closure to his life.

Yet, he couldn’t think of anything to say to his Master, sobbing silently in his arms but the following. “It’s all right, Master. It’s over now. I’m here, alive and well. It’s all right now…”


End file.
